About KNMF
“The museum will be home to programs in the arts, history, and culture of New Orleans as well as research and information on weather-related disaster and prevention.”
– R. Omar Casimire
Rodney Omar Casimire is the founder of the Katrina National Memorial Charitable Foundation. The Katrina National Memorial Museum project is the result of Mr. Casimire’s vision to create an international destination that will include a memorial park to honor those lives that were lost as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The museum will also include educational features in the areas of art and storm preparedness, providing a learning experience for locals and visitors of all ages.
The museum is designed to make use of state-of-the-art technology in its construction and operation while employing renewable energy systems utilizing wind, solar, hydro and geothermal energy systems.
Mr. Casimire is a native of New Orleans and has spent a great part of his life on community efforts enhancing local culture via the arts, and his tenure as a highly skilled craftsman in working trades here in New Orleans, Chicago, and New York.
KATRINA NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOUNDATION 501(c)(3) MISSION & VISION
Advancing the strategic plan of the KNMF MUSEUM, our mission is to build a national museum in New Orleans, LA to provide a place to honor those who perished in Hurricane Katrina, remember and learn from the catastrophe, and celebrate the strength of the survivors and those who came to help rebuild.
Our vision is to construct the first LEED Certified Platinum Museum of its kind in America. Our strategic plan includes goals to create museum exhibits that enhance the educational and historical awareness of visitors on site, participants at traveling exhibits, and surfers on the internet. Each part of this project creates a sampling from three larger strategic goals.
Part 1: Natural Disaster Preparedness Education — Creating one version of each type of lesson plan
A. Historical Insight Strategic Goal: This entails highlighting Katrina and identifying other disasters around the nation — giving information to students in New Orleans and collecting disaster testimonials from the general public around the nation.
B. Status Quo Resources Strategic Goal: This entails compiling information including up-to-date how-to guidelines for persons living in hurricane zones —giving information to the general public and collecting information from government agencies.
C. University Evacuation Network Strategic Goal: This entails organizing a national network to connect through the KNMF Museum — giving seminars to administrators at New Orleans universities and collecting evacuation plans from universities around the country.
Our organization was started immediately after Hurricane Katrina, with the idea of creating a Museum that will commemorate the lost lives due to the aftermath devastation from Hurricane Katrina.
We have developed relationships and obtained across the board support for our concept. In creating this international destination we will establish educational programs, apprenticeship
prospects, and mentoring opportunities for youth of New Orleans within the building and landscapes trades.
Cutting-edge green-technologies will be utilized in the construction of our facility. “Our outreach efforts will extend across the local region to all economic and social levels; however, the design features along with museum culture attributes will establish our facility as an international destination with a draw of individuals from all over the world.
Our Board of Directors is comprised of volunteer professionals that have a genuine interest in assuring that the goals of the organization are realized and have expertise in non-profit
community activities. The organization has experienced an enormous amount of interest and support from community individuals.
Board of Directors/Executive Board:
R. Omar Casimire: Chairman/CEO
Dr. Athema Louise Casimire-Etzioni, DVM, MS, Dipl, ACVP: Vice Chairman
Dr. Kim Marie Coleman: COO
Jody Richardson-McAfee CNHP: Secretary/Treasurer
Donna Pilot-Miller: B Arch,MCE
Honorary Chairs:
Charmaine Neville
Fats Domino
Al “Carnival Time” Johnson
Harold Battiste, Jr.
Marcel Flisink
